its functions, it has made appeal for appropriations, to meet the expenses of these committees. The amount of money needed is not large nor will it be deemed unreasonable when the number of meetings held by committees and sub-committees is taken into account. It is well within the facts to say that each committee, while considering a given subject, has found it necessary to hold ten or a dozen meetings. This will have to be kept up for at least two years longer. Thereafter the necessity for committee work on such a large scale will not be pressing and appropriations for this particular subject may then very properly be reduced if not entirely eliminated. Meetings and Hearings The Industrial Board is required by law to hold a stated meeting in each month. This meeting is held on the last Thursday in the month. The Board has been in existence for twenty-two months. Its records show that, in addition to the stated meetings, about twenty-six special meetings have been held. At these meetings the Board receives the report of the secretary, and the reports of the chairmen of committees. It hears and disposes of appeals filed with it pursuant to the Labor Law regarding (a) Exemptions under subdivision 5 of section 8-a of the Labor Law, relating to "one day of rest in seven one day of rest in seven "; (b) the acceptance of fire escapes as required means of exit from factory buildings more than five stories in height; (c) increases in the number of persons who may legally occupy factory premises; (d) relief from the requirements relating to the enclosure of stairways with partitions of fire-resisting material. In addition to these matters the Board transacts routine business. Every action of the Board is carefully recorded in its official minutes and these minutes are public records, open to examination by whosoever wishes to make such an examination. The Board has also given not less than twenty public hearings on proposed rules, the first being held at Utica in June, 1913, and the last at Rochester in July, 1914. During most of these hearings some of the volunteer members of the committees which prepared the proposed rules under consideration, sat with the Board and by counsel and advice rendered most valuable services. Com plete transcripts of the records of these hearings are made and filed with other documents relating to each subject. Industrial Code The rules and regulations of the Industrial Board have been issued from time to time in the form of bulletins. Eight such bulletins have thus far been issued. According to the law these rules and regulations constitute the Industrial Code of the State. A compilation of the present rules and regulations in the form of such a code will be found in Part VII following page *127. (1) REPORT OF DIVISION OF FACTORY INSPECTION (A) REPORT OF CHIEF FACTORY INSPECTOR, FIRST DISTRICT Hon. JAMES M. LYNCH, Commissioner of Labor: SIR.- Supplementing the summary tables printed elsewhere I would call your attention to the following: Up to April 1, 1914, there were four sub-districts in the First Inspection District. On April 1, 1914, because of the volume of inspection work below Thirty-fourth street in the borough of Manhattan, the first district was subdivided into five sub-districts instead of four, and were designated as districts Nos. 1, 1a, 2, 3 and 4. Because of the diversity of conditions existing in the various buildings inspected and the mandatory nature of the orders which must necessarily issue, on July 6th last a Division of Appeals was organized, and parties to whom notices were issued were notified that if they felt conditions warranted it, they might appeal from such orders, whereupon a re-inspection would be made, and if possible, orders would be modified. The idea was that while the Department realized its duty to safeguard the lives and health of factory employees, it wanted the public to feel that they were at liberty to take up the orders issued with the Department officials, and if any injustice was being done, the matter would be remedied without the recipient of a notice being put to any additional expense in retaining counsel, etc. Owing to the complete change in the law which became operative October 1, 1913, the inspectors attached to this district were called upon to study conditions and issue orders covering matters heretofore taken care of by the municipal departments. The volume of work has increased to an enormous extent, but the inspectors with scarcely an exception have been equal to the occasion, and the figures given in the statistical tables in later pages show that both the supervising inspectors and the regular inspectors have rendered conscientious faithful service, realizing that in no other way could the burden of work laid upon the Department of Labor be accomplished unless each one did his or her share to the ultimate good of the State and likewise all factory employees. During the year prosecution for violation of the Labor Law was begun in the various courts throughout the city and State,1,107 cases having been brought. Of these 240 were pending |